Fossil_Diver
Contributor
"I only dive recreationally and have no desire to go pro. Is Rescue something I should do or just stay as AOW?"
I commend you for wanting to take the rescue course. I wanted to take it too for the same reason. But every dive shop I went to asked me if I was pursuing a career. When I told them no, that I just wanted to further my skills and be a better and potentially safer diver they gave me the brush off. They were always either filled up or didn't have enough people signed up to schedule a class and would get right back to me as soon as there was on opening or a class scheduled. I even had an up to date Red Cross certification through work at the time.
After going to a handfull of local dive shops and never hearing back from any of them I came to the conclusion they were mainly interested in training future instructors. I even considered telling the next shop a big fat lie that I wanted to pursue being a sales..., er um I mean instructor, but instead I just gave up.
Hopefully you will have a different experience than I did. If I had to do it again I would lie right from the begining and tell them I want to pursue a career as an instructor. I would probably get a spot in the very next class.
I commend you for wanting to take the rescue course. I wanted to take it too for the same reason. But every dive shop I went to asked me if I was pursuing a career. When I told them no, that I just wanted to further my skills and be a better and potentially safer diver they gave me the brush off. They were always either filled up or didn't have enough people signed up to schedule a class and would get right back to me as soon as there was on opening or a class scheduled. I even had an up to date Red Cross certification through work at the time.
After going to a handfull of local dive shops and never hearing back from any of them I came to the conclusion they were mainly interested in training future instructors. I even considered telling the next shop a big fat lie that I wanted to pursue being a sales..., er um I mean instructor, but instead I just gave up.
Hopefully you will have a different experience than I did. If I had to do it again I would lie right from the begining and tell them I want to pursue a career as an instructor. I would probably get a spot in the very next class.